By Ruth Nacional
MANILA— Six journalists led the conversation on the changes in the Philippine news landscape as panelists in the Jaime V. Ongpin Journalism Seminar (JVOJS) on November 27 at the Media Center TV Studio, University of the Philippines Diliman.
Now in its 35th year, the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility’s (CMFR) JVOJS continued its commitment to recognize journalists who have produced outstanding journalism in terms of relevance and impact in the past year. The CMFR’s selection committee has chosen six exemplary journalists to join the panel: Lian Buan and Dwight De Leon from Rappler; Philstar.com reporter Cristina Chi; Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism former executive director Carmela Fonbuena; TV5 Chief Data & Elections Analyst Edson Guido; and Bulatlat reporter and community manager Dominic Gutoman.
Creative formats for the new generation
There is a consensus among the panelists that the elements of news remain the same despite newsrooms’ efforts to diversify how stories are told. Fonbuena explained that it is because of the need to adapt to the ‘attention economy’ by understanding and meeting the audience where they are. This involves tailoring not just the format, but also the language. According to Buan, even grammar and vocabulary are adjusted depending on the social media platform so as not to be pushed out of the algorithm.
“When we publish a text story, as much as possible, we also think of audiences who prefer consuming the story in visual form,” De Leon added, expounding on how producing both long-form and short-form content is an inclusive move to cater to different preferences of news consumers.
In defense of long-form reports, Fonbuena highlighted that creative formats can complement long-form pieces, creating touchpoints for the audiences to entice them to read the full report.
Journalists strive to adjust as much as possible, but not without challenges and criticism on the changes brought upon by technology. Among these were the relegation of the industry’s monopoly on information. Consumers used to chase after information from journalists but Buan said that today, it’s the other way around.
Another is the shift from editorial gatekeeping to algorithmic gatekeeping, wherein algorithms now dictate what audiences see, and which stories are ‘important.’
CMFR Executive Director Melinda de Jesus chimed in into the discussion, saying that newsrooms should do its job of picking out what is relevant for the public to know.
Guido noted that there is still room for journalists to thrive in digital spaces to provide context and explanation to the disproportionate volume of information accessible to consumers online. “People want clarity in a world that is chaotic,” he said.
For Gutoman, given the uncertainties in algorithms and platform policies, such as shadow banning or censorship, reaching audiences does not necessarily have to be confined within social media. “This is where the power of community engagement works… We also engage in different fora using our reports so that they could at least feel grounded with the information [that we are providing],” Gutoman said.
Newsroom practices also a challenge
Chi opened a conversation on how not all limitations are entirely driven by the digital age. Journalists also bear the weight of balancing courageous storytelling with their media company’s corporate interests, as well as editors demanding exhaustive quotas of stories from reporters. “Certain newsrooms demand 7 to 8 stories a day. How would you pursue investigations if you have to turn in 8 stories a day? Reality siya,” she said.
Aside from the call to put an end to this age-old practice, another room for improvement raised in the discussion was reducing competition and strengthening collaboration between news organizations in setting news agendas and producing reports.
Advice for aspiring journalists
On writing critical and engaging reports, Gutoman’s tip is to center a story on the lived experiences of people first instead of the data or narrative from the government alone: “Try to always look for the lived experiences of the people first. That’s one way for you to really embrace the issue.”
The growing role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the industry poses influences the future of the media industry. “If you’re a student journalist, you shouldn’t be talking about making AI your primary source. It should be your last resort,” Buan advised the audience.
Moreover, recognizing that AI-generated content contributes to the proliferation of misinformation and disinformation, Chi shared that a hallmark of an unreliable source masquerading as a news channel is when the content it produces consistently lean toward a certain slant or opinion. To avoid falling victim to false information online, she encouraged the audience not to rely on a single news source, to always cross-check information through lateral reading, and verify the news sources.
In closing, the seminar remembered the late business leader and press freedom advocate Jaime V. Ongpin, who was a staunch supporter of the alternative press especially during the Marcos Sr. regime. (RVO)
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